A variety of absorbent articles that include different colored regions are available in the market. Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and female adult incontinence articles that function to collect fluid discharged from a woman's vagina or urethra sometimes include a colored region proximal the central portion of the absorbent article that differs in color from portions of the absorbent article remote from the central portion of the absorbent article.
By including a colored region in the central portion of the absorbent article, manufacturers of absorbent articles have effectively taught consumers that the central portion of the absorbent article is where the fluid collected should reside. Manufacturers have devised a variety of designs for central colored regions. In some absorbent articles, the central colored region is relatively narrow as compared to the overall width of the absorbent article and extends only along about one-half of the length of the absorbent article. One possible reason that relatively narrow central colored regions were adopted was that such colored regions could provide a desired visual impression, such as the impression of depth. Central colored regions also might help the consumer understand how her use and placement of the product in her panty might be affecting the staining pattern of absorbent article, which might help her improve how and where she mounts the chassis of the absorbent article in her panty to achieve maximum performance.
One problem associated with narrow central colored regions on absorbent articles is that some consumers associate stain patterns that extend outside the central colored region as indicating that the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article is exhausted. In some absorbent articles, the central colored region could account for less than 25% of the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article.
A variety of materials having outstanding widthwise and lengthwise fluid distribution properties are available. Such materials can distribute collected fluid to regions of the absorbent article remote from the central colored region. An absorbent article capable of more widely distributing fluid in the absorbent article can be advantageous because wider fluid distribution can effectively increase the absorbent capacity of the absorbent article. One drawback to widely distributing fluid in an absorbent article is that the stains of such fluid might travel well beyond the central colored region, if present. As mentioned above, stains outside of the central colored region might be alarming to the wearer. Making the central colored region larger may not be an attractive design option because larger colored regions might make the absorbent article appear to be bulkier and be perceived as not providing for comfortable fit.
With these limitations in mind, there is a continuing unaddressed need for absorbent articles having a visual impression that that are perceived by wearers as having adequate fluid storage capacity to meet their needs. Further, there is a continuing unaddressed need for absorbent articles that reassure the user that fluid in the absorbent article in regions outside of a relatively narrow colored region is securely retained in the absorbent article and she need not worry about a leak.